Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-01-22

IA xOLANA nNNOOs
their wagon. As they scurried along the
| opposite mountain side Fortner and Harry
| fired at them, but without being able to tell
whether their shots took effect.
| The pursuit was carried but little dis
| lance. The wagon was secured and taken
| up the mountain. 4 little after midnight
the summit was passed. and Fortner led the
way into an opening TO the right, which
eventually brought up at little level spot
| in front of a large cave The horses were
unhitched and unsaddled, fire built, cedar
boughs gathered to make bed on the rocky
floor of the cave, and they threw themselves
| down upon this to sleep the sleep of utter
/ WEAKNESS
In the meantime Harry had learned that
| the new corners were cousins of FORMERS.
who, being out on free scouting expedition,
had been encountered by Aunt Debby and
the Others near the summit of the mountain,
| and had started back with them to the assist
| ance of Fortner. The sound of firing had so
excited them that the suggestion of Il charge
| by Kent Edwards was eagerly acceded TO.
1T must be near ) O'clock" said Kent,
looking up at the stars, US he came back
stealthily from LAYING the saddle blanket,
which was the only covering he and Abe
had, upon the sleeping form of Aunt Debby.
and my downy couch still waits for me. NV
lifelong habits of staid responsibility have
been greatly shaken recently"
| Abe groaned derisively.
An inspection the next morning of the
wagons load showed it TO be mainly made up
of hams, shoulders and sides, plundered from
the smokehouses visited With these were a
number of guns, including several fine rifles,
and all the ammunition that could be found
along the route
| A breakfast was made of slices of ham
| broiled on the ends Of sticks, and then a con-
sultation was held as to the plans for the day s
| operations.
The result of this was decision that Aunt
| Debby and one of the newcomers should 20
back and inform the neighborhood Of what
| had taken place, gather a party 10 remove
the dead from the creek and bury them, to
keep the water from being poisoned, and re-
| cover what property might he found with the
| first wagon. Kent Edwards, Abe Bolton
and two of the new corners would scout down
toward London, to ascertain the truth of the
| rumor that Zolicoffer bad evacuated that
place and retired to Laurel bridge. nine miles
south of it. Fortner and Harry Glen would
| take the wagon to Wildcat Gap, report what
had been done, and explain to their com
mander the absence of the enlisted men
SHADE of King Solomon" said Kent to
Abe, after their party had ridden for two or
three hours through the mountains toward
London Il wonder if there is any other
kind of worldly knowledge that | know as
little about as | did of scouting when we
| started outl Ny eyes have been opened to
my own ignorance. used 10 have the con-
ceit that We two could play a fair hand at any
game of war they could get up for our enter
tainment But these Kentuckians give me
points every hundred yards that never SO
much as dreamed Of Theirs is the wisdom
of serpents when compared with our dove
like innocence
Il like dove-like innocence" interrupted
Abe
"But did YOU ever see anybody that could
70 through the country as these fellows canF
Its just marvellous They know every short
rut to every point, and they know Just where
~ b. WI tA-AS ~ DC Nstltut
being seen themselves Il would puzzle the
sharpest Confederate buShwhacker to get the
drop on them"
Il don't know as want to learn their way
of doing, said Abe, cruStily 1t looks like
sneaking, ON big scale. that's all And I'm
ashamed of this laying round behind log or
"a rock TO pop a man over. 1t amt my style
at all believe in open and above board
fighting, give and take, and may the best
man win
so do l, though suppose alrs fair In war.
But when we scout We give them the same
chance to knock us over that they give US
when they scout I'll admit it looks like
murder TO shoot men down that way, for it
does not help either side along a particle.
But these Kentuckians have a great many
it any other way"
All the people of the region were intensely
Union, 50 it was not difficult to get exact in
formation of the movements of the Confcd-
crates, and as the scouts drew near London
they became assured that rot only all of
Zollicoffer's infantry, hut his small parties of
cavalry, had rcireatei beyond the town. Our
scouts, therefore, putting Edwards and Bolton
TO the front, that their blue uniforms might
tell the character of the party, spurred into a
gallop, and dashed into London, to be re-
ceived with boundless enthusiasm
Somebody ought 10 ride back to Wildcat
Immediately, said Kent, after they had en-
loyed their reception little while, and re-
port this 10 the general
All assented TO this proposition.
1t Is really the duty OF myself and COM
rade here to do it, said Kent, shifting un-
easily in his chair. to find comfortable place
to sit upon; "but as we have been for two
days riding the hardest backed horses over
roads that were simply awful, and as pre-
rlous to that time we had not taken any
equestrian exercise for several years, there
are some fundamental reasons-that is. rea-
sons lying at the very base Of things ihe
shifted again)-why We should not he called
upon to do another mile of horseback riding
until Time has had an opportunity to exer-
else his soothing and healing influence, SO to
speak Abe, believe have stated the case
with my usual happy combination of grace
and delicacyT7
You have, as usual, flushed tail race of
big words"
In Short Kent went on l~Ah, thank
you. That is delicious The best I ever
drank. Your mountain stills make the finest
applejack in the world There must be
something in the water-that you don't put
in. It's as smooth as new made butter.
Well, here's TO the Banner of Beauty and
Glory In short, as | was saying when
you Hospitality interrupted me, we are will
ing TO do anything for the cause, but unless
there is some other way of riding, the most
painful effort I could make for our beloved
country would be to mount that horse again,
and ride another hundred yards To be mes
seDger of this good news would he bliss; what
prevents it is a blister
The crowd laughed boisterously.
Mister, said one of the Kentuckians who
accompanied them, with that peculiar drawl-
ing infection Of the word that it were hope
less TO attempt to represent in print. 'ef We
want ter send some one in yer places me an
81 heah will be powerful glad ter 60. Jes'
git q note ter the jineral at Wildcat ready
while we saddle fresh beasts, an Wen hev hit
N his hands oforo y,,il